Strange Lake Falls Witch Read online

  Strange Lake Falls Witch

  Strange Lake Falls Book 7

  KD Jones

  Copyright 2016 KD Jones

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1:

  Chapter 2:

  Chapter 3:

  Chapter 4:

  Chapter 5:

  Chapter 6:

  Chapter 7:

  Chapter 8:

  Chapter 9:

  Chapter 10:

  Chapter 11:

  Chapter 12:

  Chapter 13:

  Chapter 14:

  Chapter 15:

  Chapter 16:

  Chapter 17:

  Chapter 18:

  Chapter 19:

  Chapter 20:

  Chapter 21:

  Epilogue:

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  “Granny, what are you doing?”

  “I’m going to spell Geraldine until her ass is too fat to fit in her pants!”

  Cat ran over to the backyard caldron and wrestled the concoction her grandmother was about to use. “You can’t use your powers for personal gain.”

  “Why not? Geraldine has done nothing but use her magical gifts to benefit herself! Have you seen her lately? She’s older than I am but looks your age. It’s an outrage!”

  Cat helped her grandmother sit down on the stump nearby. “It’s not a crime to be healthier. We make health potions all the time.”

  “She’s not trying to be healthy, Catherine, she’s reversing time. That is a crime against nature.”

  Cat knelt down next to Granny James and took her hand. “What’s really wrong?”

  Granny wiped a tear from her cheeks. “I got a letter in the mail from the bank saying that they were taking the house because of missing mortgage payments.”

  Cat felt like she had been sucker punched. “What? That’s ridiculous. We always send in the house payment even if it’s sometimes late.” Although she found steady work, Cat had struggled to find a job that paid decently. It meant she had to work two jobs most of the time. This was not how she planned her life.

  She wanted to become an accountant and had been a year away from graduating from college when her grandfather had passed away. She came home to help her grandmother deal with the funeral expenses. That’s when they discovered that her grandfather, Howard, had been swindled out of money and owed outstanding loans. It took nearly all his life insurance money to keep them afloat. Cat took on two jobs to help her grandmother keep the house. It felt like no matter how hard she worked, they never got ahead. So many times she had been tempted to use magic to win the lottery or to win a game of poker, but she stood by her principles no matter what.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Granny shrugged her frail shoulders. “I saw a couple warning letters in the mail but assumed it was a mistake. When I called the bank to ask them about it, they gave me the run around. I didn’t want to burden you with my concerns.”

  “You’re no burden, Granny.”

  Her grandparents had raised her since her mother had died giving birth to her. No one knew for sure who her father was; he could have been just some guy passing through. Her granny and papa never made her feel like an illegitimate or unwanted child. They had given her unconditional love and she loved them in return.

  “What I don’t understand is what does any of this have to do with Geraldine and her looks?”

  “Geraldine’s always hated the fact that I am the head of the coven here. We were both taught and trained at the same time in the same coven but our mentor chose me over Geraldine. She never forgave that. Geraldine is behind this. I think she even did something that caused Howard to gamble away our money but I’ve never been able to prove it. He worked extra hours at his job trying to pay his debts. It led to him not taking care of himself and eventually his heart just couldn’t take it.”

  “Surely she couldn’t cast a spell on the bank to keep them from accepting our payments.”

  Granny snorted. “The only spell she cast on the bank was sexual favors to Harold Pivot, the head loan officer. He’s the one who refuses to take my calls. Margie Campbell told me just the other day she saw the two of them kissing in the liquor aisle at the Big C grocery.”

  Cat bit her lip as she tried not to laugh at the gossiping going on among the elder women of the coven. “Why would Margie be in the liquor aisle? She heads up the Christian Ladies Against Alcohol.”

  Granny waved that information away. “Everyone knows Margie is the town’s biggest alcoholic. Anyway, she saw Geraldine and Harold with their hands all over each other.”

  “Harold is married with four kids.” She rubbed her forehead feeling a headache coming on.

  “Geraldine doesn’t care that the man is married. She’ll go after anyone who might give her what she wants.”

  “I’ll call the bank right now.” Cat stood up and pulled her cell phone out. She dialed the local bank and asked for the loan officer Harold Pivot.”

  “This is Mr. Pivot.”

  “Hello, Mr. Pivot, this is Catherine James. I’m calling you about the letter we just received in the mail about the foreclosure on our house. I think there’s been a mistake…”

  “No mistake, you have until this Friday to remove your belongings and vacate the premises or you will be arrested.”

  “What? That’s only three days from now. You can’t expect us to…”

  “Three days, that’s all we are willing to give you.”

  “We’ll get a lawyer and fight this.”

  “If you have trouble paying your mortgage good luck affording a good lawyer. Our bank has a team of them and they are superb. Good day, Miss James.” He hung up on her.

  She wanted to hit something so badly at the moment. Her anger was building and the words were on her lips, ready to spill…

  Her grandmother reached for her hand. “Let it go, Catherine.”

  The dark magic that had been building up in her as a reaction to her turmoil of emotions, slowly dissipated. The air had gotten chilly and her hair had been floating around her head. Cat took a deep breath and let it out.

  “I’m sorry. I should have handled that better.”

  Granny patted her shoulder. “Only one of us at a time is allowed to get angry and almost go over the deep end. Today’s my day. You can go crazy tomorrow.”

  She laughed and all the tension left her body. “Okay, so Geraldine managed to get the bank to take our house, but she can’t do anything about the coven. You’re still the head.”

  “The coven is meeting tonight at the Green Cove Meadow. Geraldine called a special meeting without my say. I wouldn't even know about it if it weren’t for Sondra. She called and left a message that she would be late, not realizing that this was all done behind my back.”

  “Well, we’ll go to the meeting and make sure that Geraldine knows we are on to her.”

  A car pulled up and they walked around to see who it was. Sheriff Bob emerged from the car. He had a blank expression on his face.

  Granny went to greet him. “Hi there, Sheriff. What can we do for you?”

  “I’m sorry Miss Mabel, Miss Cat. I got a call from the bank stating that you were to be removed from the premises immediately.”

  Cat frowned. “That can’t be right. I just spoke with Harold Pivot and he told me we
had three days to get our things and leave.”

  “I have papers here that say I am to escort both of you out of town now. The best I can give you is two hours to pack what you need to take today and I’ll have my boys put the rest of your stuff in storage for you. The bank won’t be happy about that but I think they are being real assholes about this.

  Cat looked at Granny and tried to paste a smile onto her face. “It will be all right. We’re together and that’s all that truly matters.”

  Chapter 2

  Three Months Later

  “Another shot, please.” Cat asked the bartender. He gave her a sexy smile and left to grab a bottle from the shelf.

  She had been in town for four months with her grandmother but still hadn’t found a full-time job to support them. Their funds were running short and soon they wouldn’t even be able to afford the motel room they were renting. The part-time waitressing job she had at the local diner just wasn’t cutting it.

  Every time Cat thought back on the day that they were pretty much kicked out of their own house, coven, and town with basically the clothes on their backs, she felt consumed with anger. Anger was a powerful and dangerous emotion for a witch to have. It could quickly tap into dark magic, which was hard to control.

  Geraldine wanted to ruin them for some reason but the one thing she couldn’t take was the love she and her grandmother had for each other. They could do anything as long as they were together. She took another shot hoping the alcohol would dull her anger.

  They had traveled aimlessly for a few days, then got a call from an old family friend, a vampire named Adrian Belliveau. The local werewolf pack needed help tracking a rogue werewolf who was using magic to hide from them. She and her grandmother jumped on the chance to repay the favor they owed the vampire. So they had come to Strange Lake Falls and, once they had arrived, decided they really liked it here.

  Granny was positive that there were untapped witches in the town and that they would need a coven to help train them. All they needed was a source of income and a better place to live and they would be in business.

  “Don’t you think you had enough?” a voice said from behind her. She stiffened, recognizing the voice immediately.

  “That’s my business.” She turned around to face the man who had been plaguing her dreams for weeks now — Jay Baker.

  “Here ya go, beautiful.” The bartender plopped a glass down on the counter and gave Jay a glare before going off to help another customer.

  “Thanks, Roy. Keep them coming.”

  She took the glass and raised it slowly up to her lips. She licked the rim of the glass and then took it into her mouth to drink. She heard Jay growl and she looked up into his dark eyes that were glowing. She lowered her hand and licked her lips.

  Okay she was torturing him a little, but he totally deserved it. He had made her feel like a fool when she had attended an engagement celebration that Adrian threw a few weeks ago. All the wolf pack was there along with many vampires that were in Adrian’s clan.

  She found herself flirting with Jay out by the pool under the stars. She frowned remembering that night in total clarity.

  *****

  Cat watched as her grandmother was escorted by two large men, over to a seat. Everyone here had been so good to them. A room of powerful beings and she could feel their energy. It was a little seductive.

  “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  She turned to face one of the sexiest men she had ever met—Jay Baker. He was part of the wolf pack and had a twin brother named Rod. The two of them were hard to miss when they walked into a room. Having him stare at her with such intensity made her body react. Her nipples hardened and she felt her panties dampen.

  “Is it warm in here?” She waved her hand in front of her face trying to cool down.

  “It might be, all of us werewolves can put off a lot of body heat. Come, we’ll go outside and cool down.”

  She felt his hand at the small of her back and let him lead her outside through the French doors. It was a wonderful night and the cool breeze helped relieve her body from overheating. They stopped a few feet away from the pool. Cat looked up at the stars and smiled.

  “This is much better. The stars are beautiful.”

  She felt him next to her and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “They don’t compare to you little Cat.”

  Cat wanted nothing more than to have him take her into his arms and kiss her, but he didn’t. It disappointed her. She shook her thoughts, she barely knew Jay but she was drawn to him. When he was near, she couldn’t look away and she found herself wanting to spend more time with him.

  “I hear that you and your grandmother plan to stay in Strange Lake Falls.”

  “Yes, if I can find a permanent job.”

  “I’m sure you will.”

  She was about to ask him something when a vampire woman walked by then. “Hi Jay, save me a dance?”

  Jay turned and winked at the woman who went back inside the house. Cat couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. She knew that Jay and his brother had a reputation with the ladies. Was she just another conquest for him? She didn’t want to get played.

  “I’m going to go back in and check on my grandmother.”

  “Will you come back?”

  He sounded hopeful. Maybe he felt the attraction between them too. Granny often told her she needed to take chances in life. She took a deep breath inhaling his scent. Everything about him made her feel like she could trust him.

  “Yes, I’ll be back.”

  She had gone inside to check on her grandmother who was completely entrenched in telling one of her favorite stories. Cat grabbed a couple of beers and headed back toward the French doors. She felt excited about spending more time with Jay.

  Cat stayed in the shadows when she heard Jay talking to his brother.

  “You’re getting real friendly with the pretty witch. Are you ready to get tied down so soon?” Rod asked.

  Jay had his back to her as he replied, “Hell no. I’m still young. It doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy having a good time.”

  Cat felt so foolish and hurt for thinking that he might feel more for her. She heard enough, she went back inside and her grandmother must of sensed her distress and made her way to her.

  “Are you okay dear?”

  “I’m not feeling well.”

  “Then we’ll leave.”

  “I don’t want to take you away, you’re having a good time.”

  Granny waved away her concern. “Nothing’s more important to me than you.”

  *****

  Granny James, bless her heart, sensed her pain and insisted that they leave early. Cat had been doing her best to avoid him ever since that night, but lately, all she had to do was blink and the exasperating man was right there…watching her.

  “What do you care?” Her words were a little slurred; she could probably slow down on the drinking a little.

  Jay reached out and grabbed the glass from her. “I’m making it my business.” He motioned to the bartender to cut her off.

  “You know what, I’m sick of people deciding they can do whatever they want to me. I don’t have to put up with that or with you.” She hopped off the barstool feeling a little wobbly, but she found her footing and stormed out of the club.

  *****

  Roy walked over to Jay. He looked pissed off. “What did you do to make her leave? She’s had too much to drink to let her drive.”

  Jay glared at Roy. “Why did you keep feeding her those drinks?”

  “I had to do something to dampen her witch powers. She was throwing off electric currents like crazy. The booze helped cool her down some. I was planning on getting her a taxi when she was ready to leave. Now she’s out there and is probably going to cause all kinds of trouble…”

  Jay didn’t wait for him to finish before he turned and headed off to find Cat. The female had been driving him crazy ever since her arrival a few months ago. His wolf had taken one scent of h
er and became a drooling fool, wanting to follow her everywhere.

  It wasn’t like Jay to become obsessed with a female, especially one that constantly pushed away any attempts he made to flirt with her. He was an attractive man and usually had several women wanting to date him. Well, they really liked the idea of dating him and his twin brother Rod.

  He and Rod had competed for the attentions of the same women and had shared sex with a few. The idea of sharing Cat with anyone made him angry.

  ‘She is ours,’ his wolf whispered in his mind. Yeah, his wolf had been plaguing him with those thoughts since meeting the beautiful but annoying witch. She was doing her best to keep her distance from him and the more she pushed him away, the more he wanted to pull her close. It felt this connection to her, one that was growing and something needed to be done about it soon. If he could convince her to date, they could get to know each other better and maybe in a few years, he would be ready to settle down. There was no need to rush things.

  He spotted Cat as she was crossing the street to get to the alternate parking lot. The nightclub was busier than usual tonight and it’s main parking lot was completely packed. Jay cringed when he noticed her tripping over the heels she wore but righting herself before she fell to the road. At that moment he heard the screech of tires as a vehicle barreled down the road, heading right for her.

  “Cat!” he called out.

  She turned toward him, and then glanced at the car. She froze like a deer caught in headlights. Jay pulled on his shifter speed as he ran toward her. He leaped forward, grabbed her right before the car hit her, and then hit the other side of the road hard and rolled. He turned them just before impact so that he hit the ground with her on top of him to soften the blow for her.

  “What happened?” Cat asked dazedly.

  “Someone just tried to run you over and they kept going.”

  “I’m sure it was an accident.” She looked down at him and frowned. “Did you always have two swirling heads?”